District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Encyclopedia
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals is the highest court
of the District of Columbia. Established by the United States Congress
in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court
, except that its power derives from Article I of the U.S. Constitution
rather than from the inherent sovereignty of the states
. The court is located in the former District of Columbia City Hall
building at Judiciary Square
. The D.C. Court of Appeals should not be confused with the District's federal appellate court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
.
orders of the associate judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
. The court also has jurisdiction to review decisions of administrative agencies, boards, and commissions of the District government, as well as to answer questions of law certified by the Supreme Court of the United States
, a United States court of appeals
, or the highest appellate court
of any state. As authorized by Congress, the court reviews proposed rules of the trial court
and promulgates its own rules.
Cases before the court are determined by randomly selected three-judge
divisions, unless a hearing or rehearing before the court sitting en banc
is ordered. A hearing or rehearing before the court sitting en banc may be ordered by a majority of the judges in regular active service, generally only when consideration by the full court is necessary to maintain uniformity of its decisions, or when the case involves a question of exceptional importance. The en banc court consists of the nine judges of the court in regular active service, except that a retired judge may sit to rehear a case or controversy if he or she sat on the division at the original hearing. Pursuant to statute, the Chief Judge may designate and assign temporarily one or more judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to serve on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals when the business of the court so requires.
In the exercise of its inherent power over members of the legal profession, the court established the District of Columbia Bar and has the power to approve the rules governing attorney
disciplinary proceedings. The court also reviews the rules of profession
al conduct and has established rules governing the admission of members of the District of Columbia Bar and the resolution of complaints concerning the unauthorized practice of law in the District of Columbia.
As of August 2010, the current judges are:
The retired senior judges are Anice M. Wagner, Theodore R. Newman, William C. Pryor, John W. Kern, III, James A. Belson, Michael W. Farrell, John M. Ferren, Warren R. King, John M. Steadman, John A. Terry, Frank E. Schwelb and Frank Q. Nebeker
.
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
of the District of Columbia. Established by the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
in 1970, it is equivalent to a state supreme court
State supreme court
In the United States, the state supreme court is the highest state court in the state court system ....
, except that its power derives from Article I of the U.S. Constitution
Article I and Article III tribunals
In the United States, the American legal system includes both state courts and United States federal courts. The federal tribunals may be an Article III tribunal or another adjudicative body classified as an Article I or an Article IV tribunal...
rather than from the inherent sovereignty of the states
Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which is part of the Bill of Rights, was ratified on December 15, 1791...
. The court is located in the former District of Columbia City Hall
District of Columbia City Hall
District of Columbia City Hall, also known as Old City Hall and the District of Columbia Courthouse, is a historic building at Judiciary Square in downtown Washington, D.C. Originally built for the offices of the D.C...
building at Judiciary Square
Judiciary Square
Judiciary Square is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., the vast majority of which is occupied by various federal and municipal courthouses and office buildings...
. The D.C. Court of Appeals should not be confused with the District's federal appellate court, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit known informally as the D.C. Circuit, is the federal appellate court for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Appeals from the D.C. Circuit, as with all the U.S. Courts of Appeals, are heard on a...
.
Powers
As the court of last resort for the District of Columbia, the Court of Appeals is authorized to review all final orders, judgments, and specified interlocutoryInterlocutory
Interlocutory is a legal term which can refer to an order, sentence, decree, or judgment, given in an intermediate stage between the commencement and termination of a cause of action, used to provide a temporary or provisional decision on an issue...
orders of the associate judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Superior Court of the District of Columbia
The Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court for the District of Columbia. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law. The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses...
. The court also has jurisdiction to review decisions of administrative agencies, boards, and commissions of the District government, as well as to answer questions of law certified by the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, a United States court of appeals
United States court of appeals
The United States courts of appeals are the intermediate appellate courts of the United States federal court system...
, or the highest appellate court
Appellate court
An appellate court, commonly called an appeals court or court of appeals or appeal court , is any court of law that is empowered to hear an appeal of a trial court or other lower tribunal...
of any state. As authorized by Congress, the court reviews proposed rules of the trial court
Trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court in which trials take place. Such courts are said to have original jurisdiction.- In the United States :...
and promulgates its own rules.
Cases before the court are determined by randomly selected three-judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
divisions, unless a hearing or rehearing before the court sitting en banc
En banc
En banc, in banc, in banco or in bank is a French term used to refer to the hearing of a legal case where all judges of a court will hear the case , rather than a panel of them. It is often used for unusually complex cases or cases considered to be of greater importance...
is ordered. A hearing or rehearing before the court sitting en banc may be ordered by a majority of the judges in regular active service, generally only when consideration by the full court is necessary to maintain uniformity of its decisions, or when the case involves a question of exceptional importance. The en banc court consists of the nine judges of the court in regular active service, except that a retired judge may sit to rehear a case or controversy if he or she sat on the division at the original hearing. Pursuant to statute, the Chief Judge may designate and assign temporarily one or more judges of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to serve on the District of Columbia Court of Appeals when the business of the court so requires.
In the exercise of its inherent power over members of the legal profession, the court established the District of Columbia Bar and has the power to approve the rules governing attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
disciplinary proceedings. The court also reviews the rules of profession
Profession
A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other business gain....
al conduct and has established rules governing the admission of members of the District of Columbia Bar and the resolution of complaints concerning the unauthorized practice of law in the District of Columbia.
Judges
The court consists of a chief judge and eight associate judges. The court is assisted by the service of retired judges who have been recommended and approved as senior judges.As of August 2010, the current judges are:
- Eric T. WashingtonEric T. WashingtonEric T. Washington is the Chief Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the highest appellate court for the District of Columbia.Chief Judge Eric T. Washington, born in December 1953, was appointed to the D.C. Court of Appeals in 1999 by President Bill Clinton...
, Chief Judge - Vanessa RuizVanessa RuizVanessa Ruiz is an Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, the highest court for the District of Columbia....
, Associate Judge - Inez Smith Reid, Associate Judge
- Stephen H. Glickman, Associate Judge
- Noël Anketell Kramer, Associate Judge
- John R. Fisher, Associate Judge
- Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Associate Judge
- Phyllis D. Thompson, Associate Judge
- Kathryn A. Oberly, Associate Judge
The retired senior judges are Anice M. Wagner, Theodore R. Newman, William C. Pryor, John W. Kern, III, James A. Belson, Michael W. Farrell, John M. Ferren, Warren R. King, John M. Steadman, John A. Terry, Frank E. Schwelb and Frank Q. Nebeker
Frank Q. Nebeker
Frank Q. Nebeker is a former judge of the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.Born in Utah, Nebeker received an associate degree in history from Weber College, a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Utah, and a Juris Doctor from American University. During...
.
See also
- Superior Court of the District of ColumbiaSuperior Court of the District of ColumbiaThe Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court for the District of Columbia. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law. The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses...
- United States District Court for the District of ColumbiaUnited States District Court for the District of ColumbiaThe United States District Court for the District of Columbia is a federal district court. Appeals from the District are taken to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit The United States District Court for the District of Columbia (in case citations, D.D.C.) is a...
External links
- District of Columbia Bar – Official website. (Menu provides links via "Courts" and "D.C. Courts" to: "D.C. Court of Appeals" and "D.C. Superior CourtSuperior Court of the District of ColumbiaThe Superior Court of the District of Columbia is the local trial court for the District of Columbia. It hears cases involving criminal and civil law. The court also handles specialized cases in the following areas: family court, landlord and tenant, probate, tax, and traffic offenses...
".) - District of Columbia Court of Appeals – Official website.